New media subsidy scheme should recognise the broad journalistic role of magazines

The Danish Committee on Future Media Support has published its recommendations for a new media support model. It proposes that media support be consolidated into a single scheme for editorial production support, which would include the abolition of the Magazine Fund, which supports journalistic magazines. Magazines will thus have to apply for editorial production support on an equal footing with other journalistic media.

"It is more important than ever to maintain strong, free media and strong local quality content as a counterweight to the tech giants. Magazines play a crucial role in journalistic diversity and reach a wide audience throughout the country – including target groups that do not otherwise read other journalistic media such as newspapers. That is why we also recognise the committee's work to put journalistic media on an equal footing in a new media support model," says Frank Vilstrup, Director of Consumer Magazines at Story House Egmont.

At the same time, Story House Egmont is concerned that the proposal for a new media support model will result in the introduction of overly narrow criteria and definitions, which will mean that a number of publications will once again be excluded from receiving support, and that this will not actually create greater equality between magazines and traditional news media such as newspapers – despite the journalistic contribution to society made by magazines and weekly publications.

Story House Egmont alone has 1 million readers in print and 1.5 million readers on digital platforms per month. Printed magazines and weekly magazines from the country's three largest magazine publishers reach 1.4 million Danes annually – equivalent to 28 per cent of the population – who do not read a printed newspaper or an e-newspaper (cf. data from Index Denmark/Gallup Marketing 2024/2025).

"In the latest media agreement, a political majority has approved the temporary magazine support scheme with the aim of providing editorial production support to a variety of publications. We are very grateful for this support, which is of great importance to the operation and development of magazines. Therefore, we are naturally also concerned that the criteria in a new, simplified scheme continue to accommodate a wide range of publications. We now look forward to a constructive dialogue with politicians, the committee and other stakeholders about support for magazines," says Frank Vilstrup.

For more than 100 years, Story House Egmont has been publishing magazines and weekly journals that convey current events and relevance within topics such as culture, society, politics, lifestyle and health. Danish titles include Euroman, ALT for damerne, Eurowoman, RUM, Hjemmet, Gastro, Hendes Verden, Boligliv, Alt.dk and HER&NU.